Body of missing hiker recovered in Washington's Olympic National Park
Searchers found 26-year-old Neil Gehring on Mount Appleton after analyzing additional cellphone location data.
A 69-year-old kayaker was rescued from a log jam on the Yakima River near Cle Elum, Washington, on June 22. Deputies navigated through the river hazard using an inflatable jet boat to reach him.
The body of a 26-year-old hiker was recovered last week in Washington state’s Olympic National Park following his disappearance.
Search and rescue teams found Neil Gehring’s body on the northwest slope of Mount Appleton on Sunday, Sept. 13, according to a statement from the National Park Service (NPS). Gehring had been missing since he left the Madison Falls Trailhead for a hike on Aug. 31.
“Searchers located Gehring after receiving and analyzing additional cell phone location data,” Olympic National Park said in a statement. “Gehring was transferred to the Clallam County Coroner’s Office at approximately 8 p.m. on September 13.”
Neil Gehring, 26, whose body was recovered by search and rescue teams from the northwest slope of Mt. Appleton in Washington on Sept. 13, 2026. (Credit: National Park Service)
The Clallam County Coroner’s Office confirmed to AccuWeather that Gehring’s body was recovered and identified. The coroner ruled the death as “accidental” due to extensive blunt trauma of the limbs, head and torso.
Park officials added that no additional information is available at this time.
Hoh River along the Hoh River Trail in Olympic National Park in Washington State on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Thomas O'Neill/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Gehring left for an overnight backpacking trip on Aug. 31, the park said. He intended to make a cross-country traverse from Boulder Lake to Appleton Pass and return to Madison Falls on Sept. 1, according to his backcountry permit. After he did not return, he was reported overdue on Sept. 2 at 6:30 a.m. Search efforts then began immediately.
During the investigation, aerial, drone, ground and dog teams searched along Gehring’s anticipated route over a span of 10 days, the NPS said in a previous statement on Sept. 11.
“Olympic National Park is grateful for all the dedicated search and rescue teams that volunteered to assist with this effort,” park officials said after Gehring’s body was recovered.
View From Hurricane Ridge, at Olympic Park in Washington. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Located on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula in the Pacific Northwest, Olympic National Park encompasses nearly one million acres, according to the NPS. The park is home to a diverse array of ecosystems, including old-growth temperate rain forests, glacier-capped mountains and more than 70 miles of wild coastline, making it a popular attraction for recreationalists.
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